Maurice Cohen told his brother he had a new phone line installed in his house and "gave the number of his apartment in Damascus, which I had received in a message just before he'd come home.". soon Israel's tanks and cannon riposted with heavy fire, and minutes later mirage pounded the Syrian position and blasted the cannon of Syria that was dug. Nevertheless, Kamal Amin Taabet (Eli Cohen) succeeded in visiting every position. The message was passed on to the Syrians, who arrested Cohen. Still, Israeli Intelligence asked him to return to Syria one more time. The saga of Eli Cohen, Israel's greatest spy - San Diego Jewish World On January 25, 2000, Nadia presented a picture of a new postage stamp with Elis face, to Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, honoring her husband. Its waters flow into the Sea of Galilee (the Kinneret) and south to the Dead Sea. In the name of the Syrian Arab people, The Military court has decided in its meeting which was held on Muharram 7th, 1385 - May 8th, 1965 to sentence Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen, a resident of Tel Aviv in Occupied Palestine, to death for committing the following crimes: The crime of disguised entry into a military location. At first, he refused. The newly appointed Syrian intelligence colonel, Ahmed Su'edani, disliked Eli. The spy who never came home - The Jewish Chronicle Before he was executed, Cohen met with a rabbi, as per his request, and sent his wife a letter. He was eventually exposed and captured by Syrian Intelligence in 1965, sentenced to death and hung at Damascus' main square. At Kfar Habad, on July 29, 1977, at the joint Bar Mitzvah for 100 fatherless boys, in the presence of Prime Minister. This is adefinitive andfinal verdict. Once Cohen had established his background, he was inserted into the "target country," Syria, and operated with great success for four years until his capture. Sacha Baron Cohen-led limited series "The Spy" which comes out today on Netflix tells the true story of how famed Israeli Mossad agent Eli Cohen went undercover in 1960s Syria. A devout Jew, Cohen wore tefillin during prayer, in his youth he planned of becoming a Rabbi with the backup of Moise Ventura (1893-1978), Chief Rabbi of Alexandria but the Rabbinical School closed down. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924. children: Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen Born Country: Egypt Spies Israeli Men Died on: May 18, 1965 place of death: Al Marjeh Square, Damascus, Syria Notable Alumni: Cairo Farouk University Cause of Death: Executed By Hanging City: Alexandria, Egypt More Facts Recommended Lists: Israeli Celebrities Male Spies Israeli Spies Capricorn Men Nadia, widow of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, reacts during an interview with Reuters in Herzliya, Israel October 6, 2019. . In 1963, new Ramdas replaced Meir Amit for a few months in charge of both a man and Mossad. In real life, Cohen was only able to return to Israel a few times during his mission. The TV film 'The Impossible Spy' (1987) chronicled Eli's life. Hafiz ordered Cohen's execution after he was convicted of espionage in 1965. ", "Sacha Baron Cohen To Star As Eli Cohen in Netflix Limited Series 'The Spy', Cohen's widow asks for his remains to be returned, PM's speech at the ceremony marking 40 years since the death of Eli Cohen, Our man in Damascus: Eli Cohen of blessed memory, Exhibition in the IDF & Defense Establishment Archives, Eli Cohen, moments after the execution (part 1), Eli Cohen, moments after the execution (part 2), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eli_Cohen&oldid=1140124388, Egyptian people convicted of spying for Israel, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles having same image on Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 15:41. Eli Cohen was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on December 26, 1924, the second of eight children in a family of orthodox Jews. But in 1965, he was unmasked. had succeeded in friending a Saudi entrepreneur who had been contracted to plan and dig canals, the name was his friend was bin Laden, little Osama's father. In exchange for his freedom, he agreed to work for Egypt's intelligence service. Nadia Cohen - Life Story of Widow of Israeli Spy Eli Cohen - Facts Ninja one evening he met one gentleman, Abdel Latif Hassan, editor in chief of Arab world magazine publish in Argentina. Earlier communication between the alleged son and the intelligence agency reveals Al-Hafidh was adamant on receiving the money. In 1951, he was arrested and interrogated over his Jewish and Zionist activities that he was carrying out under the tutelage of Alexandria's chief rabbi. He had also participated in various Israeli furtive operations in the country during the 1950s. So now we have a request. In 1961, Eli was sent to Buenos Aires in the guise of a Syrian textile businessman. He even trained at the same facility that had served as home to his doomed Susannah compatriots in 1953. He returned to Egypt in 1956 but was suspected immediately and was placed under surveillance. Where Is Nadia Cohen Now? Spy Eli Cohen Wife Love Story - Refinery29 There is always the risk that the agent remains loyal to his original handlers and has managed to fool his new bosses. Some attributed this to a sense of cockiness (despite the fears he had expressed in November 1964), due to the ability and ease he had moved about in the highest echelons of Syrian power. Eli Cohen was an Egyptian-born Israeli spy best known for his espionage work in the 1960s in Syria, where it was alleged he developed close relationships with the Syrian political and military hierarchy and became the chief adviser to the country's defense minister. Eli, after all, was born in an Arab country, had oriental features, was known to be selfless and fearless in pursuit of a cause, and had knowledge of Arabic, English, and French. He escaped punishment due to lack of evidence. Last Friday marked the 53rd anniversary of the execution of Eli Cohen, the Egyptian-born Israeli spy who burrowed his way so deep into the Syrian state apparatus he nearly came to head it. Nadia wishes to be buried beside Elis grave. Eli was friends with two highly placed Army officers, Colonels Hatoum and Dali, who were fully informed about the scheme. A memorial stone has been erected in the 'Garden of the Missing Soldiers' in Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, to commemorate him. He carefully cultivated contacts with the Baath leadership, which included the Syrian military attach in Argentina, General Amin al-Hafaz. As depicted in Episodes 4 and 5 of The Spy, Cohen aligns with Hafiz and the Ba'ath political party to overthrow the reigning government of Syria in March 1963. His family is now settled in Bat Yam. You're not alone. Ben-Dor was pessimistic that Israel would soon be able to retrieve her fathers body from Syria. Eli has been honored as an Israeli national hero, and many streets and neighborhoods have been named after him. Altogether, he returned to Israel three times between 1962 and 1965. In 1954, the British pull out of Egypt completely. Out of fear of being caught, Eli expressed his wish to visit Israel in November 1964, to pass on information and also witness the birth of his third child. Concentrate on yourself, looking forward for a better future! Following Israel's independence in 1949, when Jewish families were leaving Egypt, Eli stayed back to finish his electronics degree. Eli Cohen, the spy who was larger than life - The Jerusalem Post Show creator Gideon Raff's limited series has brought renewed attention to the life and work of Eli Cohen. He became a confidante of George Saif, high up in the Ministry of Information. In the 1987 TV movie 'The Impossible Spy,' Michal Bat-Adam portrayed Nadia, while in the 2019 'Netflix' series 'The Spy,' Hadar Ratzon-Rotem played her, with Sacha Baron Cohen as Eli. Even after the blown operation led to the demise of the Operation Susannah spies, Eli Cohen left Egypt for Israel to undergo intensive espionage training in the summer of 1955. According to Scheffeldt, al-Gamal wrote in his memoirs of his friendship with Marcelle Ninio, who was sentenced to four years in prison for her role in the Jewish Underground, and also about Eli Cohen. Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Chief of Staff Mordechai Gur, Defense Minister Ezer Weizmann, and many Mossad officials attended Eli's son's bar mitzvah in 1977. But as with all fictional works that derive from real-life events, The Spy, perhaps for reasons ranging from time constraints to story relevance, omits some points in Cohen's story. The execution was broadcast on Syrian television. Eli Cohen - Wikipedia Source:The Pedagogic Center, The Department for Jewish Zionist Education, The Jewish Agency for Israel, (c) 1992-2007. Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Defense Minister Ezer Weizmann, Chief of Staff Mordechai Gur, and several Mossad operatives all attended his son's Bar Mitzvah in 1977. Israeli spy's widow 'hurt' by Netflix biopic but hopes it will help "Sophie's. Kamal Amin Tabet hosted a glamorous party in Damascus, several ministers, a large number of general and colonel, top leaders of the Baath party, businessmen. Cohen had aided the unit and was implicated, but they found no link between him and the perpetrators. Eli kept transmitting reports of a military character, top military orders, reports on new weapons to Israel. Using Biton, Israel "fed" Egypt with false intelligence that reportedly contributed to the Six Day War victory. They had three childrenSophie, Irit, and Shaiand the family settled in Bat Yam. At the same time, Israeli officials devised escape schemes and appealed to international organizations. On his last visit, in 1964, he told intelligence officers he wanted to come in from the cold because he was concerned a new Syrian intelligence commander did not like him. As a young adult, he worked within Egypt to secretly assist other Egyptian Jews in emigrating to Israel. He set up a travel agency in Tel Aviv and developed ties with the upper echelons of Israeli society, including politicians. In February 1961 one man handed him an Israeli passport in his real name and a plane ticket to Zurich.on his arrival, Eli was met by a white-haired man who gave him a passport from another name, that passport carried an entry visa to chile and a transit visa to Argentina. He ultimately complied. It was after Atassi resigned on July 27 that Hafiz was named president. In 1957, Eli joined the Israel Defense Forces as a counterintelligence analyst and later applied for the Israeli intelligence agency 'Mossad,' which rejected him. I beg you my dear Nadia do not spend your life weeping for what has passed. ", "Former Assad aide: Eli Cohen's burial site unknown],mm", "New footage emerges of Eli Cohen on the gallows", "Mossad Brings Home Watch of Israeli Spy Executed in Syria; Netanyahu Hails 'Brave' Op", "Watch of famed Israeli spy Eli Cohen recovered by Mossad", "The saga of Eli Cohen, Israel's greatest spy", "Will Assad's Ouster Free Body of Israel Spy? Spy Eli Cohen Wife Love Story, American History Has Been Whitewashed, But, Black Teen Girls On TV Are A Mess Finally. Cohen was then informed that Mossad had decided to recruit him and underwent an intensive six-month course at the Mossad training school. Eli was caught in the act and there was nothing he could do. Eli started transmitting his message to Israel daily at 8 a.m. After six months kamal Amin tabet become well known. [8], Cohen was found guilty of espionage by a military tribunal and sentenced to death under martial law. Eli's first instructor Yitzhak learned to memorize things, he throws a dozen objects on the table and Eli observe them for a second and described them. The purposes of that visit were to pass on intelligence and to enable him to witness the birth of his third child. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. [7][9] The Israel Defense Forces recruited him in 1957 and placed him in military intelligence, where he became a counter-intelligence analyst. children: Irit Cohen, Shai Cohen, Sophie Cohen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxhaPGREa74. [4] His father had moved there from Aleppo in 1914. Once registered, youll receive our Daily Edition email for free. He also held parties at his home, which turned into orgies for high-placed Syrian ministers, businessmen, and others, who used Elis apartment for assignations with various women, including Defense Ministry secretaries, airline hostesses, and Syrian singing stars. At these parties such highly-placed officials would talk freely of their work and army plans. In 1960, Cohen was approached by the Mossad for a mission in Syria. Another tutor trained him to speak Arabic. He was stunned by the precision of the Israeli bombing during the 1964 attack. On August 31, 1959, he married a beautiful Iraqi-born Jew, Nadia Majald. For the next two years, he worked as a filing clerk in a Tel Aviv insurance office. 'Disturbing' footage emerges from famed Israeli spy's execution in Eli Cohen, at 29, offered his services to the Israeli Intelligence Services but was rebuked twice. To no avail. His remains have yet to be returned, despite pleas from his family. Nadia, understandably, has remained fixated on her loss. For two weeks Cohen was put under surveillance and was judged suitable for recruitment and training. The agency concluded that Cohen had a high IQ, great bravery, a phenomenal memory, and the ability to keep a secret; but the tests also showed that in spite of his modest appearance, he has an exaggerated sense of self-importance, and a lot of internal tension. Cohen, the results indicated, does not always evaluate danger correctly, and is liable to assume risks beyond those which are necessary.. For a while, Cohen tried his hand at civilian life. In 1962 Eli cohen was in Damascus with crowded mosques and colorful souks, he rented a luxurious villa in the classy Abu Ramen neighborhood, close to the Syrian embassy. The actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has a . One of them was Colonel Amin al-Hafaz, a supporter of the secular-leftist Baath party. The Story of Eli Cohen, the Israeli Superspy Who Almost Became Syria's After weeks of surveillance, he was finalized and was put to training. Eli found out about Syria's secret plan to attack the Israeli defense forces. A month later, a Syrian officer would say that one of Israel's attack architects had been Eli Cohen, who was in Israel during the battle. "We have six grandchildren," she says with pride as she points to a family photo on the wall. Recruitment into the Mossad. [27] Syrian authorities have repeatedly denied family requests for the remains. Abdel Latif Hassan immediately wrote four letters one to his brother-in-law, two to friends in Beirut, and fourth to his son in Damascus. He made friends with many of the guests and ended up receiving classified military briefings and visiting Syrian military sites. 4 Min Read. At times before the civil war, the Syrians used Israels northern border with Lebanon to harass Israel the way they used to from the Golan Heights. Nadia (born Nadia Majald) is an Iraqi Jew who got married to Eli on August 31, 1959. I was more worried, Ben-Dor said of hearing that Cohen, who is known for playing comedic figures such as Borat, would star in the series. He was a legend," I declare. He had seventeen lovers in Syria, all dazzling beauties with a fair degree of family power. Eli hoped as did Israeli Intelligence that these women would help him escape in time of crisis.. Cohen went undercover in Syria as Kamel Amin Thaabet in the early 1960s, aligned himself with key military and government personnel and fed intel back to Israel. In the show, Cohenas Thaabetbefriends Hafiz in Buenos Aires and later in Damascus helps Hafiz's Ba'ath party seize power. Eli was, however, taken in by 'Mossad' when Director-General Meir Amit was in search of a special agent to infiltrate the Syrian government. Asked to pinpoint what she found not to be reflective of her familys experience, Ben-Dor cited the ethnic gap, noting her mother was never a maid as was portrayed in the series. If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. In 1967, the Israelis were able to conquer the Golan Heights in two days in part due to the intelligence he provided. Nadia and Eli Cohen pictured in the 1960s The 41-year-old was brutally hanged in Marjeh Square in Damascus in front of a crowd of 10,000 people, in May 1965 - and despite his last request to have his body returned to Israel, the Syrian authorities have to this day never disclosed the whereabouts of his remains. That is, until Meir Dagan took over as chief. Already a member? When Intelligence came by a second time, he jumped at it. [6] Cohen spoke five languages fluently. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. She smiles. Every morning, Eli would leave home and head for the Aman training center. Even today Syria refuses to return his body for burial in Israel. He was supposed to stay in Buenos Aires as a Syrian migr businessman named Kamal Amin Taabet. But an interview published in the Cairo Times yesterday with the German-born Weltrude Scheffeldt-Biton suggests that Egyptian intelligence played the most important role in unmasking Cohen. "I was cooperating with the New Zealand Secret Intelligence Service, in cooperation with the Mossad, in order to help find the remains of the Israeli spy Eli Cohen," he said. he transfers all operations to Mossad, Eli was now Mossad agent. Cohen was convicted of espionage. He worked as an accountant. On May 15, 1965, Eli wrote a final letter to Nadia, requesting her not to mourn his death and stating that she should hold her head high, as her husband had done nothing wrong. His successes couldn't be vocally shared with his family, however. He was promised support in any venture he might wish to undertake, and the generous sums of cash which he appeared to possess appealed to the unscrupulous who thought he could provide grease to their financial ambitions, as well as patriotic Syrians who hoped for an infusion of foreign capital into the Syrian state. Warning: This article contains spoilers for all six episodes of The Spy. "- From Eli Cohen's last letter to his wife Nadia and his children, written an hour before his execution in Damascus. Elis connections enabled him to be taken to the Golan Heights a major strategic asset for Syria from 1948-67.
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